8 Best Ski Resorts for Children ...

Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada, has almost everything you could want in ski resorts for children. Just 90 minutes from Montreal, this gorgeous resort is full of international style, with European-inspired villages, crepe stands and truffle shops, convenient lodgings with plenty of children’s beds and beginner slopes right next to your home. There’s daycare for children aged between 1 and 6, combining games, sensory play, indoor/outdoor fun and activities, and a Mother Nature camp that teaches 3 to 4-year-olds to ski gently. There’s also schools for slightly older children, and a 30-acre terrain park that’s sure to keep teens busy.

If you are looking for something a little more low-key, check out Smugglers Notch in Vermont. The accommodation is ski in-ski out, meaning you can get out onto the snow in seconds, and there’s a whole variety of reasonably priced childcare and ski school options that will suit every family. There’s plenty to do off the ice, too, with a swimming pool, ice skating rink, zip lining, tubing races and a Recreation Centre that’s packed with obstacle courses and bouncy castles. You’ll have a blast.

Park City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, and it’s not hard to see why. The Canyons is a stunning resort that’s full of atmosphere, and there’s a choice of accommodation ranging from hotel rooms to chalets. Ski lessons start as young as two, with snowboarding lessons starting at four, and a fun Canyon Cub club taking care of 2 – 6 year olds. Off the ice, there’s dog-sled tours, guided snowshoe tours, Gorgoza Park and a big indoor playground, along with Park City’s museums, restaurants and, of course, the Olympic park.

Looking for a taste of the wild west? Steamboat Springs is an authentic cowboy town that features one of North America’s tallest ski mountains, and an Ice Castle featuring a stunning frozen throne. It’s no wonder that this place is nicknamed Ski Town USA! It’s a great value, too, with children aged under 12 skiing for free when an adult ski pass is purchased. There is childcare for children aged over 6 months, and dedicated ski classes up to age 15. There’s also horseback riding, dog sledding, a hot pool and plenty of water slides – there’s even a gondola. This place is an absolute must!

Don’t fancy a mammoth drive? Mount Sunapee is located just 90 minutes from Boston, so it’s ideally located for Eastern coast families! There’s big mountain skiing and snowboarding, and the resort is family-owned, with a big emphasis on looking after parents' and children’s needs. There’s a daycare center for children aged between 1 and 5, the Snow Stars program for ages 3 and above, and a Family First program that will let you learn with your children. Other entertainment options include a pub with regular feast and dance parties, fireworks, an adventure park and a space discovery center.

Looking for a deal? Granite Peak in Wasau might be the perfect choice. It’s ideal for beginners, with plenty of nursery slopes and three newbie chair lifts, and there’s 30 family trails too, along with more challenging courses for experienced skiers. The resort regularly participates in Family Festival weekends, which offer reduced prices, and there’s ski classes and daycare for children above one – along with live music, wagon rides, fireworks, bonfires and horse riding.

If you need a starter resort that’ll keep you busy, Northstar at Tahoe on Lake Tahoe in California is the perfect choice. Most of the slopes are rated beginner or intermediate, and there’s plenty of adventure parks to keep teens and older children busy. There’s “Mommy, Daddy and Me” lessons, which use two instructors to teach the whole family together, and tickets that allow parents to swap over and take it in turns to ski. It has plenty of museums, art studios, jungle gyms and science experiment stations to keep little minds busy, too.

Sun Valley in Idaho is the oldest major ski resort in the Rockies, and it’s packed with history. It’s an elegant resort with comfortable, stylish and affordable condos and cottages, and it has a great inviting atmosphere – everyone always comments on how friendly it is! There’s separate areas for beginners and intermediate skiers, a nursery for babies from 3 months and camp-style lessons that kids will love. There’s also an outdoor skating rink, a bowling alley, a 1930s opera house and a horse-drawn sleigh…this is the type of holiday that’ll create memories that last a lifetime.

Have you ever been to a ski resort for children? What did you think? With a mixture of skiing, snowboarding and other entertainment, it seems a logical choice to me – I love escaping the snow for a sauna after a hard day! Got any great ski locations? I’d love to hear them!